Chinese battleship Zhenyuan
The Chinese battleship Zhenyuan (Chinese: 鎮遠; also romanized as Chen Yuen) is a German-built Chinese National Revolutionary Army Navy super-dreadnought battleship built in the late 19th century for the Chinese Beiyang Fleet of the Qing Dynasty. Her sister ship was the Chinese battleship Dingyuan. Built with 14-inch (360 mm) thick armour and modern Krupp guns, they were superior to any in the Imperial Japanese Navy at the time. She and Dingyuan were involved in the First Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895. Both Zhenyuan and Dingyuan were destroyed and sunk during the First Sino-Japanese War, but were salvaged in the Post-World War I period. Under the era of Republic of China, both Zhenyuan and Dingyuan underwent an reconstruction and modernization at shipyards in Shanghai in the 1930s. Their hulls were enormous enlarged; from 99 meters to over 250 meters, and with much larger and modernized superstructures. Their much older turrets of 305 mm (12 inch) 25 caliber guns were removed and replaced with larger turrets; nine 406 mm (16 inch) 45 caliber guns in triple turrets and hundred of anti-aircraft guns, making them the largest and most powerful battleships ever reconstructed in a Asian country outside the Empire of Japan's Imperial Japanese Navy. They were the flagships in the National Revolutionary Army Navy, the second largest navy in East Asia at that time. During the Second Sino-Japanese War of 1937-1945, both Zhenyuan and Dingyuan were docked in harbor when the Battle of Shanghai in 1937 began. Zhenyuan and Dingyuan gave firepower support to the National Revolutionary Army troops that defended the city. When the city fell in the end of 1937, both Zhenyuan and Dingyuan survived and fled to shipyards in non-Japanese occupied Chinese areas along-side the coast of China. With the outbreak of the Pacific War on 8 December 1941, the United States declared war on the Empire of Japan and China in its turn declared war on Empire of Japan. Zhenyuan and Dingyuan was sent to support the British troops during the Battle of Hong Kong and later Battle of Singapore in late 1941-1942. When Singapore fell on 15 February 1942 into the hands of Imperial Japanese Army, the last Allied bastions in Southeast Asia fell and came under Japanese control. Both Zhenyuan and Dingyuan fled to Pearl Harbor and spent their time there until the surrender of Empire of Japan on 15 August 1945. The battleships returned to Shanghai in November 1945. During the Chinese Civil War 1945-1949, the battleships supported with firepower the National Revolutionary Army that fought Mao Zedong's People's Liberation Army. When the People's Liberation Army defeated the National Revolutionary Army, the battleships followed the survivors to form the new Republic of China (1949-Present). During the Cold War, when the industrialization of Republic of China started in the late 1950s, Zhenyuan and Dingyuan underwent an another modernization and reconstruction. The superstructure was enlarged and the hull also was enlarged from 250 meters to 305 meters, some of the largest warships in National Revolutionary Army Navy. A second superstructure was constructed and the main armament were removed and replaced with newer and heavier more powerful weapons; nine 505 mm (19,5 inch) 45 caliber guns in triple turrets, hundred of anti-aircraft guns and missile launchers were mounted. They are serving as some of the largest and most powerful battleships in the world. Category:Battleships of the National Revolutionary Army Navy of Republic of China